All posts by Jim

This Tuesday we’re off to the North Atlantic for a 1/3000 scale multiplayer convoy vs. wolf pack game.

Convoy SC 75 was reported as sailing on the 18th March 1942 from Halifax NS with 30 ships and 5 escorts. This is a slow convoy, trying to maintain 8 knots. Wolf Pack Ziethen II is being formed in the North Atlantic all commanders in the area are expected to rendezvous as directed for an attack on the night of the 28th March.

The Buchanan’s Party scenario for Bag the Hun 2 was played at the club this week, with seven players taking on the role of Luftwaffe and RAF aircrew. In the end, the experienced Luftwaffe pilots of Stab III.JG27 shot down two No229 Squadron Hurricanes of Yellow Section, one in a catastrophic mid-air explosion and the other in a gradual slow glide down to earth to crash land in the desert. They didn’t manage to shoot down any of the No14 Squadron Blenheims, however, which succeeded in dropping three sticks of bomb on the convoy but only destroyed one of the target markers in the process.

In addition, one of the Bf109 F-4’s suffered a gun jam and was effectively out of the game by Turn Three. The Victory Points worked out at four for the Luftwaffe but only one for the RAF, so a clear Axis victory. We did run out of time though, so it would be fair to expect that several of the bombers would have exited the table in Turn Six to claim additional VP’s. Even though the RAF fighters had a rough deal, due to an unlucky turn of the cards and some dodgy dice rolls, they did succeed in their mission objective to protect the bombers so that they could hit the target.

There’s a Bag the Hun 2 multiplayer game at the club this week, based on a bombing mission by Blenheim Mk IV’s of 14 Squadron RAF against Axis motor transport during Operation Crusader. There are six players taking part, with the Hurricanes of No.299 Squadron as top cover for the bombers and the Bf109’s of III.JG27 trying to stop them. It’s all in glorious 1/285th scale and there will be a full after action report to follow. Tally Ho!

The French are well in the lead being three steps away from the objective, the ancient silk road town of Urga in Mongolia. The British, Bolsheviks and Chinese are all in equal place at five steps away, while the Mad Baron and Japanese are trailing along in a cloud of dust at the back, six steps away.

The French are confident that they can sweep all before them using their superior firepower but the Chinese are now itching to give them a bloody nose, having been narrowly defeated in Turn Three.

The Bolsheviks are also keen to have a crack at the Japanese and the Chinese, avoiding the decadent capitalists with their modern weaponry and training.

The British are having a nice cup of tea while the Japanese and Chinese lick their wounds. Finally, the Mad Baron is doing his own unpredictable thing but may well pop up at some point out of nowhere to sweep all before him.

Anything can happen in the last three turns and there could well be some decisive battles to come in Turn Four!

Pah! Barbarians! These English lady soldiers are despicable!Aiiiie! Let’s get out of here before they bring on the jam and scones!

A very hard fought battle this turn between the British Museum and the Japanese Expeditionary Force, won in the end by the stiff upper lip, derring-do and fluffy scones of the ‘Pankhurst Battalion’ (whatever next?). STOP. The Japanese did put up a good fight but were given a sound thrashing by Ms Miggins and her lady friends (ooh err). STOP. Unfortunately, a full report of the battle has been delayed due a strike by Yak herders on the trans-Gobi postal route, so this brief telegram will have to suffice. STOP.There’s only one other game to resolve this turn and then it will be on to Turn Four!

The WW1 aerial game using the club house rules, Knights of the Sky, was a decisive victory for the Imperial German Air Service, despite the best attempts of the Royal Flying Corps and Aviation Militaire to complete the mission. This involved a flight of DH2’s escorting an Re8 on an artillery spotting mission over the Ancre Sector in February 1917. A second flight of French Nieuport 17’s provided top cover, while the Germans were tasked with shooting down the Re8 before it could complete three orbits of the target.

The pilots of Jasta 2 managed to shoot down the Re8 before it could complete it’s artillery spotting mission, although it did make two complete turns around the objective. The French suffered from some repeated gun jams which meant that they struggled to defend the Re8 despite being in position to hammer the enemy on several occasions. Meanwhile, the DH2’s of No29 Squadron did their best to hold off the Alabtros and Roland machines, with a spectacular last breath shot by the flight leader downing a German as his own machine plummeted earthwards.

The final tally was one DH2, a Nieuport 17 and the Re8 shot down, for one Roland CII and several badly damaged Alabtros scouts. A good game and one which will be featuring at the club once again in the not too distant future. Thanks to Andy, Caesar, Colin, John, Gary, Laurent, Martyn and, last but not least, to Richard for the brilliant rules!

This multiplayer WW1 aerial game, re-scheduled from 24th January, will now be happening at the club on Tuesday 7th February. The game will be set in February 1917 over the Ancre sector, with the German Imperial Air Service out in strength to disrupt the Royal Flying Corps from completing an artillery spotting mission in support of the 63rd Division attacking Grandcourt.

The results of Turn Two in the club Back of Beyond campaign are now in:

The British Museum – Force March = one step back ( step 6)

The Chinese Warlord – Force March = one step forward (step 4)

The French Expedition – Victory = one step forward (step 4)

The Mad Baron – Force March = stays put (step 6)

The Japanese Column – Defeat = stays put (step 6)

The Bolshevik Shock Brigade – Force March = stays put (step 6)

The Xmas break meant a lot of forced marching was unavoidable but there are two games scheduled for Turn Three already, so plenty of action to look forward to next month. The Chinese Warlord and French Expedition are now neck and neck, with the other forces trailing behind, but anything can happen in the Back of Beyond!

Initial reports are coming in of a major defeat for the Japanese Flying Column of Colonel Sushi Miyagi by the French Trans-Asia Expedition of Commandant Henri Lostagaine. Although details have yet to be confirmed, it would appear that the Japanese have suffered a significant setback, with losses in men, equipment and heavy weapons. The French have now renewed their advance to Urga leaving the Japanese to lick their wounds and gather reinforcements from local Chinese Bandit factions.